Maxillofacial injuries related to work accidents: A new concept of a hospital-based full electronic occupational trauma surveillance system

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of occupational maxillofacial injuries using a newly installed relational database. Twenty-six injuries were identified out of 28 624 patients admitted to the emergency unit during a 12 month period. Falls from height or being struck by moving objects were common causes of these injuries. Two-thirds of those identified were construction workers. This paper demonstrates the power of modern databases to identify specific occurrences that may provide the basis for prevention in the future. © 2002 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.